Little Miss Holmes
by happyalvin
Summary: Take the worst aspects of Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes and what do you get? Mycroft's sixteen year old daughter Cassandra Holmes who was just as, if not more dysfunction than her father and uncle put together.
1. Chapter 1

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson returned to their residence of 221b Baker Street in a very cheerful mood, they had just wrapped up a case involving a clown, an overgrown parsnip and poison. Sherlock was well… Sherlock about the whole thing and being awfully smug how right he had been about the whole thing. John was certain that he was living in what monopoly and cluedo would be like if they had been merged together. Stepping into the flat John was surprised to see a teenager girl with long dark hair pulled in pony tail dress in a school uniform consisting of a white shirt, pilot blue jumper and a blue tartan skirt, black tights and school shoes walking around the flat aimlessly. "Excuse me but who are you?" John asked.

The girl stopped in her tracks and glanced briefly at Sherlock before her eyes returned to John. "Shouldn't you be asking how I got in here?"

"W-well yes, that would be a good place to start." John admitted before pulling himself together. For some reason this teenage girl was making him feel very insignificant and small just by her presence, in his own home! There was something about this girl that was very familiar but John, for the life of him couldn't figure out why. "So how did you get in here?"

"If I gave you the answers where would the fun be in that? You are after all the detectives but I'll give you a clue; it wasn't your landlady Mrs. Hudson. She's been home for an hour and yet to realize that I'm here, quite amazing actually seeing as i've managed to have two cups of tea in that time..." The teenager quipped as she chuckled quietly.

"Okay. You manage to break into our home, help yourself to tea and you want us to figure out why? I have to admit that's a new one…"

The teenager just shrugged her shoulders as she sat herself down in the armchair that faced away from the window and usually favoured by Sherlock. "What can I say? I like to break people out of their norms and have them experience things from a different perspective. And as true as what I just said is, really this was the only way of surprising you that I could up with in the cab on my way here. I was pressed for time you have to understand…"

"I really have no idea what's going on here and what you want." John admitted.

"John. Shut up." Sherlock said for the first time since they had come across the teenage girl in their flat and with a small frown on his face, Sherlock made his way to the other armchair in the room and sat down, where the teenage girl turned her attention to him now. She was the last person he expected to see here of all places and clearly she was up to something; it was just figuring out what she was up to, that was the problem. She knew all of his tricks; he knew it and so did she. So Sherlock chose to do nothing except sit there.

The two of them sat there staring at each other from opposite ends of the room, their eyes never leaving each other's once except for the occasion when they needed to blink and even then they blinked less then the average person. Blue eyes met blue eyes and neither seemed willing to back down until an hour later when the teenager got a message on her phone and her eyes darted away to read the message before returning her gaze to the subject of her scrutiny. "Sherlock." She finally said.

"Cassandra."

"You two know each other then?" John summed up as glanced out Sherlock and the teenager now known as Cassandra who resumed their staring contest. Since he had met Sherlock, John had come across many things with the rather odd and eccentric man which never seemed to make that much sense but John went along with it. But watching Sherlock having a battle of the wills with a teenage girl that he somehow knew was something he really could not fathom. As how the hell did Sherlock Holmes know a teenage girl? "How do you two know each other?"

"Uncle." Sherlock announced rather uncomfortably as he rose from his seat and made his way over to one of the large windows that occupied 221b Baker Street.

"Niece." Cassandra added with even less enthusiasm as Sherlock as she absentmindedly looked at her nails with a bored look spread across her face.

John was shocked at this news to say the least as the only relative he knew of Sherlock's was his brother Mycroft and neither of them had ever mentioned any other relatives except for 'mummy' in passing and how their arguing upset her. John would have asked if this was a joke if it wasn't for the fact that the consulting detective and teenage girl wore almost similar looks of despair on their faces. So they were in fact Uncle and Niece and they both didn't seem to happy about it. "Sherlock you're an Uncle?"

"Unfortunately. Did I neglect to mention that Mycroft had a daughter? A teenage daughter who has a perpetualant habit of getting kicked out of school because she craves daddy's attention." Sherlock replied in a deadpan tone, still gazing out of the window.

"Mycroft is your father? You're a Holmes…" John asked the teenage girl and now it all made perfect sense to him. The attitude, the know it all look that Cassandra had on her face when they arrived was definitely Mycroft with a mix of Sherlock. Then there was the whole deduction thing that seemed to be an innate Holes trait and then the pale complexion, blue eyes and dark hair that Cassandra had as did Sherlock and Mycroft. No doubt about it; the teenage girl in their flat was definitely a Holmes. She was a mini Mycroft with the eccentricities of Sherlock. John found this to be very odd, bizzare and yet utterly fascinating at the same time.

Cassandra slowly rose from her chair and held out her hand to John. "Yes I am and I assure you it wasn't my choice. It's a pleasure to meet you Dr. Watson, I'm Cassandra Holmes."

"Enough with the pleasantries." Sherlock interrupted as he turned around to face his niece who was just like her father when it came to running circles around people before turning on the charm. "Cassandra what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in some boarding school in Scotland or have you been kicked out again? Does your father know about any of this?"

"Of he course he does this is Mycroft were talking about, he knows everything including what colour socks I'm wearing today." Cassandra replied in the same exasperated tone that John had seen both Mycroft and Sherlock used when they were questioning the intelligence of someone who clearly wasn't as smart as them.

"Yellow–" Sherlock began.

"Actually it's one yellow sock and one green sock. Must be getting rusty in your aging days dearest Sherlock as you've seem to forgot that I favour wearing odd socks and I'll have you know that I've been at boarding school in Winchester and no I haven't been kicked out, yet…" Cassandra replied with a rather smug grin on her face.

"Doesn't explain why you're here, would you care to explain that Cassandra?" Sherlock questioned as he had been having a rather good day until the arrival of the mini she-Mycroft and to be honest he wasn't in the mood to be dealing with his frequently difficult niece.

"The great detective can't figure it out?" Cassandra taunted in a rather amused manner before rolling her eyes in bemusement.

"You don't know yourself, do you?" Sherlock figured as Cassandra was still in her uniform and her school bag on the floor. Both of which were things you would not wear or bring with you to a planned trip to London. So that meant that this trip was unplanned and there was only one person who would bring Cassandra Holmes to London this unexpectedly. And that was his brother and her father; Mycroft Holmes.

"Afraid not."


	2. Chapter 2

"She's your niece Sherlock!" John quietly hissed at Sherlock after the consulting detectives idea to chuck Cassandra out the flat, preferably at the window headfirst. John could not believe the nerve of his friend and colleague at the suggestion, so he and his niece didn't get on but that didn't mean he could actually suggest throwing her out of the window.

"And your point is?" Sherlock asked as if that fact somehow mattered

At times John honestly worried about his friend's lack of common sense and understanding for right and wrong. For a consulting detective Sherlock had somehow failed to see that throwing his teenage niece out the window was a very bad thing to do. "She is your niece Sherlock! Your family!" John stressed.

"Yes John we've established that and I've been well aware of it for the last sixteen years, ever since Cassandra's mother unfortunately gave birth to that creature over there. So I'll ask again, your point is?" Sherlock said as he motioned his head in the direction of his niece who was still sitting down and playing with a bunch of tarot cards for reasons that Sherlock failed to understand.

"I-I don't know but still she's your niece Sherlock, you could be a lot nicer to her." John said with a sigh as he knew it was rather useless.

"I could. But I won't because she's an insufferable know it all." Sherlock quickly retorted as his eyes wondered back over to his niece and the cards she was playing with, he was certain that she was doing it to get on his nerves and Sherlock would begrudgingly admit that it was working.

"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black." John couldn't help but point out and Sherlock just looked at him." Sherlock you have to admit that you're an insufferable know it all."

"But it's my job to be one. I get paid for it."

"Cassandra's teenager, they're driven by their emotions and hormones and their supposed to think that they know it all and she's also a Holmes which means she is probably is a know it all." John added and Sherlock just rolled his eyes.

"The emotional one is a rather apt description." Sherlock noted.

"Emotional one, seriously? I was expecting some more dramatic explanation from you dearest Sherlock." Cassandra quipped as she got up from her chair and made her way into the kitchen where the two men were currently standing in. John was vaguely surprised that Cassandra had managed to overhear of all of that whilst Sherlock didn't seemed fazed by any of it.

"What's with the tarot cards?"

"A new hobby I've picked. Kind of ironic really considering my name and all…" Cassandra replied.

"Something else I see you picked up from another new boyfriend I presume?" Sherlock asked his niece, choosing to ignore Cassandra's statement in favour of the week old bruise on her neck that was being hidden by his niece's school shirt.

"Not my boyfriend, just a source of entertainment for when I'm bored. Honestly Sherlock you wouldn't believe the misconceptions about boarding schools these days, they all think it's something out of Ronald Searle's St. Trinian's books but it's mostly like as Enid Blyton book on a good day." Cassandra said with a sigh.

"You would know Cassandra considering that you've been kicked out of the top five private schools in the country." Sherlock retorted before momentarily surprised when Cassandra grabbed his arm, rolled up his sleeve and slapped on a nicotine patch.

"Yes Crank Pants Holmes, I did get…" Cassandra began stopping midway to frown slightly and as she did, her hand gripped Sherlock's wrist rather tightly for a few moments before. Her eyes managed to meet her uncle's for the briefest second before unwittingly shut on their own accord and her body gave way to the ground.

"John!" Sherlock called out as he caught his niece and guided Cassandra to the floor, where her body began convulsing and John slid a pillow under the teenager's head as her eyes began rolling in the back of her head as her limbs continued to trash around for a minute and half before it slowly came to a stop and once it had, John moved Cassandra in the recovery position.

"How long has she had epilepsy?" John quietly asked after a moment as he stood up after checking Cassandra's airway.

"Five years..." Sherlock murmured as he sat down in the exact spot where John had vacated but being careful to give his niece the space that she needed whist she slept. It was funny in rather odd and disturbing how an annoying, brash and sarcastic teenager could become so vulnerable in under three minutes. 90 seconds. Sherlock made a mental note of how long the seizure lasted. And as he did he took note of the nicotine patch that Cassandra had placed on his arm moments before she started to have the seizure. As much as the two of them disagreed and argued, they took care of each other in their own weird way. Be it nicotine patches and epileptic fits.

Cassandra slept for close to twenty-five minutes before her eyes finally opened albeit very groggily and sluggish. "I-I…" she attempted.

"Don't try talking LB." Sherlock quietly said as he placed his hand over his niece's one for the briefest of seconds before pulling it back. As he was quite aware that John was still there watching the two of them, so he pulled out his wallet from inside his jacket pocket and threw it to John.

"Why are you giving me my wallet?"

"To answer your question before you even ask it, LB stands for ladybug. Inside my wallet you'll find a picture of Cassandra and I from when she was five years old and she was dressed up as a ladybug. Hence the nickname LB."

"You really care about her, don't you?" John questioned and Sherlock just rolled his eyes.

"No I don't."

"Yes you do, otherwise you wouldn't be taking care of her right now." John pointed out.

Sherlock didn't say anything for the briefest moment. "John she had epilepsy, what was I supposed to do? Just let her fall, hit her head and just hope for the possibility that she doesn't fracture her skull. As much of a annoying brat as she is, she's my annoying brat of a niece and I'd much prefer if her skull remained intact…"


	3. Chapter 3

Cassandra found herself to be lying on sofa in a room that she didn't recognize and with no recollection of how she got to be there. In fact her memory was very hazy and she felt very tired but all she knew was that she had to get out of here and figure out where the hell in creation was. As she swung her legs off the sofa, she noted that she was in her school uniform so Cassandra assumed that she had been at school at some point during the day, which meant her bag wouldn't be too far. "Okay Cassie, let's get a move on." Cassandra told herself as she finally stood and stretched her legs and as she stood she walked over to the window and based on what she saw she concluded that she was in London.

"Oh Cassandra your up, how are you feeling?" John asked as he came out of the kitchen.

Looking at the man Cassandra deduced that he was in his thirties, probably early to mid thirties. Definitely came from the military based on how he was standing but he was relaxed enough that she could tell that he probably been honourable discharged. Normally she would have gotten more but she was just super confused even more so given that this man seemed to know her. "Forgive me but I have no idea who your are so if you'll excuse me, I'm going to be on my way…"

"Ah yes that's to be expected…" John said before holding out his hand to Cassandra. "Dr. John Watson."

"I did it… didn't I? I had a seizure…" Cassandra concluded, as that fitted perfectly with the lack of memory she had about how she got to this place and the fact this John Watson man was a doctor.

"Yep, I'm afraid. Would you like a glass of water?" John questioned.

"No thank you."

"Cassandra shut up and have some water." Sherlock stated as he walked into the room and John left and went into the kitchen to return less than a minute later with a glass of water, which he handed to Cassandra.

"Y-You… " Cassandra began before slowly shaking her head and going back to sit on the couch, her mind was still very foggy and no doubt it would still be for another hour or so. "Sherlock… what is going on?"

"You had a seizure."

Cassandra narrowed her eyes at her uncle, this was all very bizarre and just getting weirder by the second. First the doctor and now the uncle that she was not particularly too fond off. "No shit Sherlock, kind of realized that when I woke up and ran into your friend here with no recollection of any of this or how I got here… How long was I out for?"

"Three hours."

"Brilliant."

"How long has been since your last seizure Cassandra? If you don't mind me asking." John questioned.

"Five days ago, I think… you know I can't really remember things in precise detail at the moment." Cassandra groaned as she took a sip of her water before putting it down and rubbing her head, it was bad enough that she had a seizure but Sherlock being there just made it ten times worse.

"Have you been taking your medication?" Sherlock questioned as he went into his trouser pockets and chucked a small bottle of pills onto the sofa, which landed right next to Cassandra.

Cassandra rolled her eyes in annoyance as she picked up the bottle and fiddled with the lid. "Your starting to sound like Mycroft and dare I say it, like you actually care about my well being Sherlock Holmes…

"This isn't some of joke Cassandra." Sherlock retorted.

"I know it isn't Sherlock!" Cassandra hissed in annoyance. "And you'll know this considering you stole my medication from my bad that I have been indeed talking it because I know how serious my condition is. I know that I have to take my medication everyday and not skip any. I also know that I have to avoid the things that may trigger my seizures such as caffeine, alcohol, cigarettes' and drugs!"

Sherlock glared at his niece, he couldn't believe he had been nice to her when she clearly didn't deserve it not to mention he did not like that veiled insinuation that she had just made. "You don't have to tell me that Cassandra, I'm not the one with epilepsy here and the label says that you're on Clobazam now–"

"Very good, the last batch of my previous mediation wasn't working and they were more harm than good to me, so neurologist switched my meds… the old crack pot is still advising surgery although I've made it clear that no one is touching my brain…." Cassandra said as she looked at her watch and then proceeded to open her medication and take one pill, swallowing it with water.

"How long do you have left until you've been completely weaned off the old pills?" John questioned.

"Two weeks tops." Cassandra replied as she got up from the couch once more and hunted around the room until she found her bag. "Thanks… for you know taking care of me…"

"Trust me the idea of leaving you there was very tempting but John would have never let me forget it, probably would have wrote about it on his blog for the world to know about. _Sherlock who is so cut off from human interaction and does not understand any type of normal relationship left his sixteen year old niece who was having an epileptic fit on the foot in order to microwave the severed foot in the freezer."_ Sherlock stated with a shake of his head.

"I would never!" John argued.

Cassandra shrugged her shoulders. "Probably right, considering the whole world knows that you didn't know that the earth goes around the sun."

"Not you too!"

"Honestly Sherlock even I knew that but then again I'm not oblivious to stuff like that, I actually pay attention to stuff that goes on in the real world!" Cassandra replied as she composed a text on her phone.

_You better have a good reason for bring me here. Your brother is annoying me so much that I had a seizure – CH._


	4. Chapter 4

Cassandra idly lay on the couch in Sherlock's flat feeling weak and exhausted from her fit. Although she had slept a bit, every time she had a fit she always felt sluggish for another 36 hours before she regained full strength. It was getting onto seven when her father finally strolled into the flat. "Sherlock, John and Cassandra." Mycroft cordially greeted.

"How was the meeting with the Prime Minister Mycroft?" Cassandra asked when her father walked into the flat, Cassandra didn't call her father and uncle by their titles, she instead called them by their given names because she didn't feel like calling them by their respective titles, which suited the Holmes brother's just fine.

"It was the home secretary Cassandra." Sherlock corrected.

Cassandra scrunched up her nose at being corrected before looking at her father and regaining a more neutral expression. "Ah yes I see that it was but in a manner of speaking I was marginally correct as the prime minister was the home secretary five years ago. But either way they're both bores but at least I know who the prime minister is Sherlock."

"Not funny Cassandra." Sherlock retorted before turning his attention to Mycroft. "I do hope there is a reason you had your errant daughter brought back the exile you had her shipped off to in the first place?"

"Now children play nice." Mycroft warned.

"Whatever… can we just get this over and done with? I need to sleep on something that does not consist of a hardwood floor." Cassandra wearily said as she rubbed her eyes.

"I have to agree with Cassandra, much to my despair..." Sherlock added.

"Well unfortunately what I need the three of you for has to go on the back burner for a while because of certain circumstances but fortunately it's not of vital importance so it can wait a few days." Mycroft explained with a small frown and both Cassandra and Sherlock simultaneously rolled their eyes.

"And why's that?" Sherlock demanded, if Mycroft had a case for him then why didn't he give it to him instead of this whole cryptic song and dance that he was doing?"

"Sherlock I'll admit that your capable of many things but even you are not capable of passing as a sixteen year old girl. The case I have for you requires the particular skill set of my daughter and you cannot proceed until she is back to full strength." Mycroft announced and Sherlock just narrowed his eyes at Cassandra.

"Nice going She-Mycroft!" Sherlock sneered.

"Sherlock!" John exclaimed.

Cassandra wearily laughed as she tilted her head back and closed her eyes. "Don't worry about it John, only Sherlock is paranoid enough to believe that I would purposely induce an epileptic seizure. Hard to believe that I'm unfortunately related to him."

"Feeling is quite mutual Cassandra."

"Will the two of you cut it out?" John demanded and all three Holmes looked at John. "Sherlock, would it kill you to have a little compassion for your niece of all people? And frankly even I don't believe that she would induce a seizure just to purposely inconvenience you. And Cassandra would you give your Uncle a break? He was by your side during every moment of when you were seizing and after, didn't move a inch until you started to wake up!"

"And you call me the emotional one?" Cassandra asked after a minute and both she and Sherlock started laughing, even Mycroft couldn't help but smirk at this.

"You people are the strangest creatures I have ever come across!" John stated looking at the odd trio who were come how a family before walking out of the room.

"Your mother called today." Mycroft stated with a rather strained sigh and all three Holmes all took similar looks of despair.

"And what did mummy want now?" Cassandra sarcastically asked, the former Mrs. Holmes and Cassandra's mother was not someone any of the Holmes were particularly fond of especially Cassandra.

"Your required to attend a bridesmaid dress fitting for your mother's upcoming nuptials." Mycroft said rather uncomfortably.

"Oh god! What is it now the third wedding?" Cassandra asked with a murmur as she rubbed her forehead and swung her legs off the couch.

"I thought it was the forth?" Sherlock asked.

"Maybe? I've lost track of how many times my mother has gotten married in the last few years, after the second one they all mashed together" Cassandra stated in an idle manner.

"It's actually the third."

Cassandra looked at Mycroft who was very uncomfortable talking about his ex wife considering he still wore his reading ring and she had gone through many more since then. "The woman's clearly off her rocker."

"Can't argue there." Sherlock murmured in agreement before turning to Mycroft. "For once I have to agree with your mini-me, you really did pick one of the worst people to procreate with."

"Well if we're quite finished with this subject I think it's time for me to take Cassandra home. Must be feeling quite overwhelmed after today's events… if you're ready Cassandra?" Mycroft asked as he fiddle with his umbrella.

"Sure…" She replied as she stood up from the couch and Cassandra had to blink several times as she adjusted to standing upright after spending the majority of the afternoon laying down.

A smile couldn't help but grace Cassandra's face as her father still used that damn umbrella even after all these years. For some reason it was of sentimental value for father and daughter considering it was Cassandra who given Mycroft said umbrella. She was six at the time and had been begrudgingly handed off to her twenty three year old Uncle Sherlock to do a spot of Christmas shopping. Sherlock was unhappy about having to take care of a six year old who was quite simply the dumbest smart person he had ever encountered even if Cassandra was a Holmes and his niece. Whilst Cassandra just wasn't happy at being forced to spend the day with her very weird uncle who was no fun. The only thing they agreed to get from the most ominous man in the British government was an umbrella considering the Great British weather.

"Your bag." Sherlock drily states as he picked up Cassandra's bag and handed it towards her.

"Goodnight Sherlock."

"Goodnight Cassandra."


	5. Chapter 5

Two days later in the rather early hours of the morning Cassandra woke up hours earlier than she would have when she was normally home and so resigned to the fact that she was now up, she climbed out of bed and figured she'd go get something to eat. On those rare occasions that she wasn't at school or helping her father out with something or staying with her mother then Cassandra would be at the Holmes Estate in the countryside. Without a doubt one of the finest homes in the country despite the fact hardly any of the residents lived in it.

After Cassandra made her way down the stairs to the main hall she started to go the back of the house towards the kitchen but stopped then she saw that the door to her father's office was open ever so slightly. Not bothering to knock Cassandra walked straight in and saw her father sitting at his desk reading some files. "You know it wouldn't kill you to knock Cassandra." Mycroft said.

"You are being funny Mycroft…" Cassandra drawled in a vaguely amused tone of voice. "Why on earth would I knock in my own house? I don't even knock when I go into other people's houses."

"I know, your uncle is still trying to work out how on earth you managed to get into his flat and not have Mrs. Hudson realize and you know how he get's when he can't figure something out Cassandra. I suspect that he must be getting on John's nerves." Mycroft commented.

Cassandra laughed, she loved winding up dear old Uncle Sherlock because she knew how and which buttons of his to press and because he liked making fun of Mycroft, she may not be that fond of either father or uncle rather frequently but sometimes Sherlock took it too far with Mycroft and Cassandra felt obligated as Mycroft's daughter. "Good old Sherlock, your brother can be rather amusing at times Mycroft, I tend to forget given how much time I spend away from home."

"Dare I say you missed your uncle Cassandra?" Mycroft asked in an amused manner.

"Don't confuse my fondness for your brother's eccentricities for actual affection, he is your baby brother after all not mine considering I have the delightful pleasure of being an only child and I intend on it remaining that way. If anyone pertains any affection for him than it's you Mycroft." Cassandra spat in annoyance before sighing, getting mad at what her father suggested just made it seem like she cared.

"Cassandra…"

"Caring is not an advantage Mycroft, you know that better than anyone. In fact it might as well become the family motto considering it's been ingrained in all of our brains since birth."

"You care." Mycroft began.

"No I don't." Cassandra retorted.

"Yes you do."

"Is it because I have breasts and ovaries Mycroft? Or is it because I may someday bare children that it makes me predisposed to caring?" Cassandra blurted out much to her surprise and Mycroft's embarrassment and once she saw her father's cheeks tinge pink Cassandra couldn't help but laugh.

"No it's not because of that, in fact it's because you are very much–" Mycroft began.

"Mycroft if you tell me that I am anything like my mother than I will do something terribly dreadful, like… throw a temper tantrum! Because I am nothing like her, I _am_ a Holmes. I am Cassandra Holmes." Cassandra bluntly stated narrowing her eyes at her father.

"There has never been any doubt about that." Mycroft said in a reassuring manner that he hadn't used with Cassandra since she was ten.

Although she's never willingly admit this out loud under fear of being mocked for the rest of her life by her beloved Uncle Sherlock but under the ten layers of confidence and sarcasm Cassandra felt rather intimidated by everything that was her family, in particular her father and uncle. Mycroft practically ran the British government and Sherlock carved a career for himself as the world's only consulting detective.

Cassandra knew her deduction skills were good, in fact better than good but she was nowhere near as good as her father. She could give Sherlock a run for his money and often corrected him although he tended to correct her more often than not. The two of them were great men despite their annoying quirks and aloofness to anything that involved emotion. Cassandra wanted to be as great as them someday but so far the only thing she seemed to be able to do was get kicked off school much to Mycroft's dismay and Sherlock's amusement.

"What do you mean?" Cassandra found herself asking.

"Well you are very much my child, which makes you a Holmes by birth but the way you hold yourself is very much like the rest of us. But then your different Cassandra, perhaps if you had been a boy and raised in a similar fashion to how Sherlock and I were raised then I would looking upon a true likeness of what Sherlock likes to refer you as a mini- Mycroft."

"And are you saying that I'm not a mini Mycroft?" Cassandra demanded.

"Not at all Cassandra, you are without a doubt a mini she-Mycroft and that's what makes you unique. Not many women have been born into the Holmes family and whilst you have everything that makes a Holmes, you have something that sets you apart." Mycroft explained.

"The fact that I care… I'm the weird black sheep of the family who actually cares, that is just great!" Cassandra sarcastically stated.

"I never said that, I said that caring is not an advantage however I didn't say that the Holmes don't care we just have our own way of doing it." Mycroft pointed out. "But yes you do care as much as you pretend not to care and it's one of the things that I admire most about you along with the fact that you've seemed to develop a skill of getting kicked out of every school I send you to."

Cassandra couldn't help but grin, despite all the phone calls and effort he went to when she got kicked out of a new school Mycroft could never stay mad with her.


	6. Chapter 6

Stepping out of the chauffeur driven car, Cassandra looked at the door or 221 Baker Street before walking up to the door and opening using the key that she had 'acquired' to the house and letting herself in she walked up to flat b and let herself in where she already knew that her uncle would be home and when Sherlock saw her his face fell. "Oh god… what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school or something? Or have you been kicked out of another one?"

"Not this time I'm afraid but I'm taking a sabbatical from my education for the next few weeks whilst Mycroft sorts out a new school for me as it's been decided that it may be in my best interest to be educated closer to home and my family as to prevent me from getting kicked out another school. So I'm sticking around, I'm afraid..." Cassandra idly replied before turning her attention to the two other men who were in the room with them. "Hello John it's good to see you again Detective Inspector Lestrade."

"Hello Cassandra."

"You two know each other?" Sherlock demanded looking at the two of them in shock and Cassandra just smirked; it was so easy to wind her uncle up and not to mention very amusing. "How long have you know her?"

"Almost as long as I've known you Sherlock." DI Lestrade replied which didn't satisfy Sherlock who turned his attention to his niece who surely had the answers he wanted, that is if she was willing to give them up.

"Did I neglect to mention that? Must have slipped my mind, silly me but don't worry Sherlock you don't come up in our conversations at all so you needn't worry about whether or not we talk about you. It's more like a business acquaintance than anything as I'm only sent to DI Lestrade when Mycroft needs to tell him something of upmost importance and can't do it in person himself." Cassandra said a she fiddle with the ends of her head which was done up in a fancy french plait.

"Mycroft… I should have known that he was behind your so called acquaintance and I'll admit that I am rather surprised that that he's already began to prep you to take over him someday. The man doesn't trust his own spies but yet he trusts his wayward daughter who can't even manage to spend more than six months a time at school. It's rather interesting but then one can only guess as to the relationship between father and daughter but then Mycroft and Cassandra Holmes aren't exactly a normal father or daughter neither is their relationship."

"Do I detect a hint of jealously on your part dearest uncle of mine?" Cassandra retorted with a rather smug smile on her face. "I'll be sure to tell Mycroft that you're in desperate need of some quality brotherly bonding."

"You wouldn't dare Cassie…"

Cassandra raised on eyebrow in amusement as her Uncle used her childhood nickname that no one except her mother used anymore, although Cassandra did occasionally use it on when talking to herself out loud. It was funny that Sherlock was using it now given that Cassandra could recall him calling her that on three previous occasions. Usually she was just mini she Mycroft, the wayward niece ot just Cassandra. "Try me."

"How are you feeling Cassandra?" John asked moving things along as to avoid another Holmes family spat.

"Much better John, thank you for asking… the new medication seems to be working very well as I've only had one fit in the last week and how are you?" Cassandra replied with a small smile, she liked John as he seemed to be one of the few people who could actually keep Sherlock in line and out of trouble for the most part.

"Very well."

"Enough with the pleasantries already, can you just get on with it and tell us why you're here Cassandra because unlike you I don't have all day to waltz around and get on everyone's nerves." Sherlock interrupted.

"Just came to return this." Cassandra said opening her satchel and taking a book out and placing it on the small table closest to her before taking out two files and handing one to John and the other DI Lestrade. "And to drop these off, thankfully DI Lestrade being saved me an extra trip."

"From your father?" DI Lestrade questioned.

"Yes it's from Mycroft."

"What is?" Sherlock questioned as he attempted to take the file from John only to have his hand slapped away by Cassandra who then proceeded to glare at him.

"Its something of a rather important matter one that Mycroft does not want the world's only consulting detective interfering with. So keep out of it you nosy parker!" Cassandra warned.

"Is that is?" Sherlock enquired.

"Yes it is and now I shall be leaving as unfortunately mummy has been craving some mother daughter time before her latest wedding so I'm off to meet her at the Ritz for a spot of lunch and then spend the rest of the afternoon shopping with her before meeting Mycroft for a late dinner. Apparently my parents have decided that they want to play not so happily divorced family and I have to go along with it given that they both have custody of me." Cassandra said in a tiresome tone.

"Have fun." Sherlock said with a wide smile as he watched his niece make her way towards the door to leave before spinning on her heels to turn back and face him with a small smirk on her face.

"Ah that reminds me, Mycroft told me to tell you that you were invited to join us for dinner although it wasn't exactly a request." Cassandra stated as she watched the smile on her Uncle's face fell; he knew exactly what he was being asked or rather told to come to.

"It never is when it's a family dinner." Sherlock said in a rather uncomfortable and displeased tone of voice. The Holmes family dinners weren't exactly traditional and enjoyable event.

"A car will come and pick you up at 8 and you had better be in it Sherlock."


	7. Chapter 7

Cassandra waltzed into the Ritz and made her way straight towards the restaurant, ignoring the maître d in favour of heading to the table where she knew her mother would be. Whenever they went to eat at the Ritz they always sat at the same table per Cassandra's request, as she liked consistency when it came to her mother. And when she arrived Cassandra wasn't disappointed, sitting in their tables dressed to the nines as always was her mother; Lydia Huntington. Cassandra actually felt happy to see her although she wouldn't tell her that instead she just stood in front of her mother and waited a moment before coughing to get her attention. Moments later Lydia Huntington stood up from her seat and placed two kisses on her cheek. "Hello Cassie!"

"Hello mummy." Cassandra replied as she allowed her mother to shower her with affection before the two of them sat down. Unlike with her father and uncle, Cassandra actually called her mother by her parental titles or several variations of it.

"I went ahead and ordered for you." Lydia said.

"Thank you."

"You look well Cassie, better than the last time you were home. You've regained the colour back in your cheeks. Being back in the city suits you and I'm glad, I've missed you when you're off at school so I'm glad that you've come home. In fact I'm rather relieved that your father has stopped shipping you off to various schools but I do wish you stay with me most of the week instead of your father whose never around…"

"I like living with dad. I think he likes having me there too." Cassandra pointedly stated, referring to Mycroft as her 'dad' which she never did except for when she was with her mother. When she was with her mother Cassandra was slightly different, she was still as aloof and sarcastic with very little patience for trivial things but she was softer with her mother. As Lydia was normal. Cassandra wasn't normal but her mother's normality no matter how bizarre she found it to be gave Cassandra stability. Both figuratively not to mention emotionally. Lydia was emotional, overly emotional. Something that the Holmes weren't exactly known for. Having someone like Lydia as her mother stopped Cassandra from being as emotionally closed off and crippled like her father's side of the family.

"Really? How so?"

Cassandra swallowed a lump in her throat. She talked to her mother about things she wouldn't talk about with Mycroft and god forbid Sherlock. Lydia Huntington was the one person who Cassandra could drop the façade of not caring and reveal what was going on in that strange little head of hers. "It reminds him that he has more in his life than work, that there's something else and I think it makes him less lonely. I know it does for me."

"Cassie…" Lydia began.

"Mum, you don't get it and you never have but I like being at the house with dad, it makes me worry about him less. I like being here in London instead of being away at school." Cassandra admitted.

Lydia nodded as she pushed a strand of her blonde hair out of her face. "And how have you've been since you came home? Any seizures recently?"

"Two within the last nine days." Cassandra began and watched as her mother face took on a look of concern. "I'm fine mum. You know the medication doesn't stop the seizures, it just makes them more manageable. I was dad for the most recent one and the one before that I was with The Uncle…"

"Oh, really? And how is Sherlock doing these days?"

"Errant, mad and somewhat losing his snaity but then again when is he not? He's got himself a new roommate, a doctor whose very nice and somewhat a good influence on Uncle Sherlock. However he is still very much cranky and winding most of the police and I'm sure some of them are only a few annoying accurately observations about their personal lives away from shooting him or framing him for some kind of crime. Which ever comes first I suppose…"

"And Mycroft? How is your father?"

"Good, working of course but good. We're having a family dinner tonight, him, myself and Sherlock." Cassandra idly noted.

"The Holmes family suppers, always a dreadful affair especially if duck is being served." Lydia said with a small chuckle.

"Well fortunately for you mother, you no longer have to attend as you no longer belong to the Holmes family whereas I'll have to attend for the remainder of my natural life. Oh the heavy burden the Holmes name places on my adolescent shoulders…" Cassandra said before feeling the need to change the subject entirely. "How are the wedding preparations?"

"Oh wonderful darling, thank you for asking!" Lydia began going ten million miles an hour as she explained the details of her upcoming third marriage, which caused Cassandra to roll her eyes. That was one of the things that actually annoyed her about her mother, whilst Cassandra tended to act like her mother was the bane of her entire existence it was only her mother's marriage tendencies that annoyed her. That and the fact that someone so upbeat, optimistic and emotional person like her mother ended up marrying and reproducing with someone so cold and distant like her father. What bothered Cassandra about her mother constantly getting remarried was that she herself got dragged into it, only for it to never work out. There was a small part of her that wanted her mother to be happy but that was generally overlooked by her desire not to be forced into another frilly bridesmaid dress.

The two of them were as different as night as day, which is probably why Cassandra found it so easy to actually talk to her mother. The whole thing about her mother being off her rocker was slightly true but Cassandra cared about her mother. No matter how much she tried to pretend like she didn't she did. Cassandra cared about her mother, father and she say it even her Uncle Sherlock.


	8. Chapter 8

Cassandra strolled down Tottenham Court Road keeping a close eye on people walking past her, this was the last place she wanted to be given that she had a tone of errands and school work to do but she had been summoned here. Normally Cassandra wasn't one to respond demands save for her parents and whatever headteacher was about to kick her out of school but this time was different. She came more out of curiosity than anything and stopped when she approached the familiar tall dark curly haired man; Sherlock had better have called her here for a good reason. "You rang?"

"I need a favour."

"You need a favour from me? Your really asking a favour from me after what you pulled at dinner two weeks ago?" Cassandra said, referring to the Holmes family dinner which had taken place two weeks ago exactly, duck was severed which always led to trouble and trouble is exactly what happened. Cassandra and Sherlock had got into an argument about something totally irrelevant and began flinging insults over the dinner table. Until Sherlock had to decided to reveal some thing that Cassandra really wished he hadn't like a few indiscretions of hers and a couple of items that she had in her possessions that Mycroft wouldn't approve of. And naturally he confiscated them soon after. Sherlock and Cassandra hadn't spoken since although a few ago they were in the same room but Cassandra left moments after she had arrived as she couldn't bare to be in the same room as her uncle.

"Trust me I wouldn't be asking you if I could find somebody else who would so what I need. Unfortunately you seem to be the only one I can turn to…" Sherlock stated showing his disdain.

"And what exactly is it that you need from me dear Uncle Sherlock?" Cassandra asked in a not so pleased tone of voice, she had a feeling that she wasn't going to like what he was going to suggest. Sherlock asking her for a favour was very rare and when he did, they never ended up well. Last time Cassandra had broken her wrist a week before her fourteenth birthday.

"I need you to induce a seizure dear niece of mine Cassie." Sherlock retorted using the same amount of venom that Cassandra had used when addressing him.

"That's funny, I could have sworn that you just asked me to induce a seizure." Cassandra said finding herself snorting in amusement at the suggestion, there was no way Sherlock had just suggested that. Clearly there was something wrong with her hearing because she was certain she had just heard the most insane suggestion

"I did."

Cassandra stopped laughing, so she hadn't been hearing things. Sherlock really had just asked her to induce a seizure, she always knew her uncle was crazy but she never thought he was actually that out of his mind goddamn crazy, up until now. Out of all the stupid things he had done, this had be straight at the top of the list. "You have some nerve asking me to do that; my epilepsy isn't something that can be messed around with as a toy to suit your needs Sherlock, it's a serious condition and it's rather unpleasant thing to experience. You have no idea what it's like to know that you don't have control over your body, to know that any moment you'll lose control of it and fall to the ground and begin seizing."

"Cassandra, I know–"

"–But you don't know Sherlock! That is the one thing that your ingenious self doesn't know as like you say, your brain isn't damaged like mine is. You don't wake up and find yourself confused about where you are and find that you have gaps in your memory or that you feel lethargic for days on end. Your not the one whose on medication and probably will be for the rest of their life. I get told what I can and can't eat or drink and how much sleep I need to get. Five, almost six years I've been living with this!"

"Stop being so melodramatic Cassandra, I just need you to have a little fit. It's no big deal given that you have them constantly so you'll be fine, a little tired and cranky. Besides it's not like you having anything important to be doing with your time."

"Actually it's my mother's bachelorette party or weekend rather and since I am the maid of honour I am required to be there and so I can't be in a post fit state for it." Cassandra explained.

"Why not? Your mother has done it a good few times already so no one is really going to care." Sherlock said brushing off Cassandra's excuse, which put her in a more annoyed mood just because Sherlock had a point didn't mean she had to like it. Cassandra had been putting in more effort with her mother and her upcoming nuptials and she really didn't want anything to delay them including her own health.

"And why do you want me to induce a seizure?"

"I need a distraction."

"There was nothing else could suffice?" Cassandra asked.

"Cassie, I need you do this for me. I'll explain everything to you later." Sherlock said taking her head and scribbling something in her palm and looking down she saw that he had scribbled 'Find SH' no doubt a clue for when she woke up confused.

"I assume John isn't in on this, there's no way the good doctor would even allow you to suggest such a crazy idea." Cassandra wearily said, she couldn't believe that she found herself actually agreeing to go along with this crazy idea. That was the problem with having inferiority complexes with her relatives, Cassandra would try so hard to please them just to get some kind of praise from them and apparently being convinced to induce a fit was included in that. "And what do I get out of this?"

"Don't worry I've got that covered. Now I'm going to walk away from you but keep your eyes on me, once there's a bit of distance between us I'm going to shine a light directly into your eye now hopefully that will induce a seizure. If not you'll have to keep looking until it eventually does." Sherlock vaguely said and Cassandra chose to roll her eyes. This was going to be blood awful.


	9. Chapter 9

"…About time Cassandra, I was expecting you to turn up hours ago." Sherlock called out as he heard footsteps coming up the stairs towards the flat. John was sitting across the room from him reading the paper and Mrs. Hudson was upstairs in her flat and had been for the last hour. So the only possible person who could be walking up the stairs must be Cassandra; who would storm in and yell about her seizure and how terrible it was in an attempt to make Sherlock feel guilty about it, not that he would. But Cassandra was always one to rise to a challenge, Sherlock had to give her that but much to his despair it wasn't his niece who walked through the door ready to bite his head off rather Mycroft. Sherlock figured his annoying niece must have taddled on him to her father.

"What did you do Sherlock?" Mycroft demanded, ignoring the pleasantries and getting straight to the point, confirming Sherlock's theory that Cassandra had indeed told on him. "What did you do to Cassandra?"

"Surely you must known by now Cassandra always exaggerates the details Mycroft, your daughter had quite the flair for theatrics on occasions just like her mother. It's not as bad as she makes it out to be…" Sherlock said in a bored tone of voice.

"Actually Sherlock, Cassandra hasn't told me anything as given her current condition she's not in a position to talk and as such won't be able to tell me anything which is why I'm here asking you precisely what you did to my sixteen year old daughter."

"I wouldn't call your annoying brat of a child laying in bed complaining about some trivial manner a condition Mycroft, I would just call that Cassandra being herself and unfortunately there seems to be no cure for it. But I'm guessing you know that given the sixteen years you've been raising her." Sherlock drily replied.

"Cassandra is a coma Sherlock." Mycroft announced and John lowered his newspaper whilst Sherlock barely batted an eyelid at this news, in fact her just chose to feign a yawn.

"Very funny Mycroft, now where is Cassandra?" Sherlock replied not believing that story for a second, no doubt it was some ploy by his niece to get back at him for this whole inducing a seizure. Cassandra must have lost her mind if she thought that he'd fall for something like that. He was expecting something more inventive and colourful.

"If you don't believe my words then maybe this picture may convince you." Mycroft replied walking a few steps over to Sherlock and handing over his phone, Sherlock took the phone expecting to see some sort of silly picture but instead he saw Cassandra laying in a hospital bed with a gash on her forehead and some bruising around it. And Sherlock finally began to realize that this wasn't a joke and that Cassandra was actually laying somewhere in a hospital bed unconscious.

"What happened?" John asked as Sherlock found himself unable to ask the question himself as he was certain that it was connected with the events of earlier this afternoon. It explained why she hadn't shown up after what happened at Tottenham Court Road

"It seems like Cassandra had a seizure today, right in the middle of a busy Tottenham Court Road. Apparently when the seizure struck, she took a rather hard fall and hit her head on the pavement. Paramedics were called and she was taken to the nearest hospital but on the way she had another two seizures. She was unresponsive when she arrived and upon examination the doctors had discovered that she had fallen into a coma." Mycroft wearily said and Sherlock finally looked at his brother, usually Mycroft was one for little emotion like himself but this was not the case. The worry about his only child was clear as day on his face. It was a look that Sherlock had only seen on Mycroft barely a dozen times since Cassandra had been born.

"Have the doctors said anything to you about Cassandra's condition?" John questioned.

"The doctors aren't exactly sure what caused Cassandra to fall into the coma, it could have been the head injury or the several seizures she had. They say that her condition is critical but they seem rather optimistic, which is the only source of comfort at this particular time." Mycroft explained before turning his attention back over to Sherlock who stood up and walked over to the window to avoid the scrutiny of his brother's gaze. "The doctors did however find the message 'Find SH' written in her palm and asked if I knew what that mean. I recognized your handwriting immediately Sherlock and most of the pieces fell into place for me as they did for Lydia."

"Lydia?"

"Cassandra's mother." Sherlock explained to John.

"So I'll ask you again brother, what did you do to my daughter?" Mycroft demanded.

Sherlock finally turned away from the window and he could feel the smallest inkling of guilt in his stomach as he looked Mycroft in the eyes. It was never his attention for the situation to take this much of a serious turn for the worse "I think you know the answer to that question Mycroft."

"I want you to say it Sherlock."

"Fine. I flashed a bright light in here eye hoping to induce a seizure and I did." Sherlock admitted and Mycroft's face-hardened at the news before flashing a bright shade of red whilst John just looked on in disappointment.

"Sherlock you didn't…" John began.

"I had to."

"Of all the stupid things that you have done over the years Sherlock this is perhaps the most stupid and reckless thing you have ever done! You put Cassandra's health at risk by doing what you did and because of your actions she is now in a coma Sherlock! We have no idea when she'll wake up and what damage has been done to because of your disregard for the consequences of your actions!" Mycroft yelled.

"Mycroft–" Sherlock slowly begun.

"I must rejoin Lydia at Cassandra's bedside but before I go I'll tell you this now Sherlock; you are not to go anywhere near my daughter or the hospital, there are armed police officers standing guard outside Cassandra's room and they will arrest you on sight."


	10. Chapter 10

Sherlock looked around the crime scene, taking in every detail that he could but as he did, he couldn't help but notice that DI Lestrade was staring at him for about the twentieth time since he arrived to the scene this morning. And it wasn't the usual way the detective inspector looked at him in either annoyance or amazement but rather curiosity. For the first few minutes it didn't bother Sherlock but now it was because he could feel the detective inspector look at him and now that he was aware of it, it was interfering with his thought process. "You're staring, why?"

"Have you really not seen her?" DI Lestrade asked and Sherlock couldn't help but frown.

"Seen who? The dead body of the ground? Yes I have, it is the reason I'm here after all."

"I meant Cassandra." DI Lestrade clarified but Sherlock gave him a blank look as if to say he had no idea who he was going on about. "5'8 with dark hair and blue eyes, sarcastic, bit of a mouth on her but very polite and charming at the same time and just so happens to be your niece and currently in a coma."

"Oh, Cassandra? No I haven't seen her." Sherlock idly replied, focusing his attention of a small piece of dirt and torn leaves that seemed very out of place in the flat they were all currently standing in. Odd thing to find in a high rise apartment in London.

"Seriously?"

"He hasn't seen her." John affirmed.

"So what if I haven't seen her? Up until a couple of months ago, I hadn't seen Cassandra in four months so why now should I make an effort to go see my moron niece more?" Sherlock asked in annoyance, as recently his niece had been a frequent topic of discussion and John had made a increasing habit of bringing her up and asking him when and if he was going to see her. And there was only so many different ways Sherlock could say he had no interest in seeing her.

"Sherlock she's been in a coma for three weeks, and your honestly telling me that you haven't seen her? Is it not true that you induced the seizure that caused here to go into the coma in the first place?" DI Lestrade asked and Sherlock turned to John, no doubt he had been supplying the detective inspector with the all the finer details of what had happened.

"I am perfectly aware of my part in Cassandra's hospitalization and despite the numerous hints and guilt attempts by John, I am not going to see my niece and I wish people would stop bringing it up. Yes, Cassandra is in a coma and there is absolutely nothing I can do about that and what may I ask is the point in even seeing her? It's not like Cassandra will even known whether I'm there or not and as you've both witnessed I don't like spending much time with her anyway." Sherlock replied.

"Do you not have any guilt over what happened? Cassandra wouldn't be where she is if you didn't induce that seizure."

Sherlock rolled his eyes. "Enough with the guilt tripping John it's not going to work as Cassandra was fully aware of what could happen when she agreed to let me induce the seizure."

"I highly doubt she thought she'd fall into a coma."

"An unfortunate event that neither of us foresaw."

"Do you even know how she's doing? What her condition is?" DI Lestrade asked.

"Well she's in a coma so I'm going to make a leap and assume she's alive, I don't know when she'll wake up, you'll have to take that up with her but, wait… You can't because she's unconscious, now can we move on? I'd rather not waste another day talking about my errant attention seeking niece."

"Sherlock this isn't something to joke about, Cassandra could have died, you do realize that? As in ceast to exist?" John asked.

"Do you realise how ridiculous you sound John? Now unfortunately I know my niece and Cassandra's too stubborn to die, her dying would mean that there would be no one else to be more of a constant annoyance to me than the two of you and she could never have that."

"You have to see her."

"Can't I'm afraid, John you do remember what my brother said about having armed police stationed outside his daughter's hospital room who have orders to arrest me on sight if I so much as step foot inside the hospital where Cassandra is currently vacating. And I'd very much prefer to avoid spending some more time in a police cell. If there's one thing that Mycroft never jokes about, it's that wayward daughter of his."

"So? Your Sherlock Holmes. You run circles around people constantly, dare I say it me and most of the metropolitan police. Surely you of all people can find a way to get passed two armed police and in a hospital of all places." DI Lestrade questioned.

"Oh I could and it's nice to see that some people finally see and acknowledge my genius but even if I wanted to go to see Cassandra there's a problem and it's not the armed police officers. It's what's past the police that is the real problem."

"And what's that?" John asked.

"Not a what but rather a who; Cassandra's mother. She's not exactly too fond of me and I suppose even more so considering what's happened and the fact that she's had to postpone her wedding because of Cassandra's little situation. She doesn't want me there and Lydia barely leaves her daughter's side, so I'm afraid me seeing Cassandra is a no can do."

"Your got going to see Cassandra because you don't want to run into her mother?" John asked with a small shake of his head and Sherlock just sighed, John just didn't get it but then he was a simple minded idiot so of course he wouldn't get it.

"She raised Cassandra, that is more than enough reason to avoid seeing her."


	11. Chapter 11

Sherlock was never more unnerved when Cassandra was being quiet, there were very few times when she was completely silent and those were when she was sleeping and after she had a seizure. This kind of silence was unnatural given that Cassandra was in a coma: a state of deep unconsciousness and had been for almost a month now. As he stood in her hospital room he looked at his niece who was laying in bed unaware of what was going around her, to just get into the room Sherlock had to wait for the one time of the day when Cassandra's mother left her daughter's side in order to go home, shower and get a change of clothes. After that, getting around the armed police was easy enough.

"It's almost like she's asleep." John said breaking the silence that had engulfed the two of them since they had arrived, Sherlock chose not to respond as it wasn't as if Cassandra was sleeping. He knew Cassandra favoured sleeping on her side and was prone to the occasional grunts, not to mention she tended to sleep with her hair in a French plait in order to stop it from getting in her way. The large gash that she had received was mostly healed save for the scabbing and the black eye was a nasty green and yellow colour. "Would you like me to wait outside?"

"No." Sherlock replied as he sat down on a chair that was near Cassandra's bed, John being outside wasn't going to make much of a difference. The only reason Sherlock had come here was to get John off his back and the two of them just sat there in silence with only the monitors in the room making a sound.

"Have you spoken to Mycroft?" John asked.

"Not since the last time you asked." Sherlock began before stopping short when he noticed something on the inside of Cassandra's wrist and slowly he leaned forward and lifted up Cassandra's wrist and turned it over.

"What are you looking at?"

"This." Sherlock replied as he lifted Cassandra's wrist up to show John what he had found; it was a tattoo more specifically a small tattoo of a ladybird. Sherlock couldn't help but swallow a small lump in his throat as a tiny bit of nostalgia hit him. "Fairly new but given the lack of scabbing I'd say it's held and the tattoo can't be anymore than seven weeks old."

"It's a ladybird…" John stated.

"Yes John it's a ladybird or a coccinellidae if you want to call it by it's latin name but I'm glad that you can see the obvious." Sherlock brashly replied as he placed Cassandra's arm back by her side.

"That's your nickname for Cassandra, isn't it? Well LB really but that stands for lady bird and now she's got a tattoo of one and correct me if I'm wrong but Cassandra's been back in London for about ten weeks now. You say that her tattoo is no more than seven weeks old which means that Cassandra she got it three weeks after she turned up at the flat." John pointed out.

"Your point John?"

"That nickname of yours must mean a lot to Cassandra if she went and got a tattoo of it, I think there's more to the two of you than meets the eye and that the two of you don't hate each other as much as you make out to. I've only known Cassandra a few weeks but I don't think she'd get a tattoo of a nickname given to her by someone she hates." John explained.

Sherlock refused to look at John and instead looked at Cassandra. "Whoever said we hated each other?"

"Well, you two volley more insults back and forth at each other like you're at Wimbledon so it's not hard to jump to that assumption, not to mention the two of you act like children when your together."

"That's a good one given that Cassandra and I are banned for the All England Tennis Club in which you are referring to." Sherlock replied.

"The two of you are banned? What on earth for? And how do you get banned from Wimbledon?" John demanded.

Sherlock couldn't help but smirk. "Wouldn't you like to know? And technically we're not exactly banned, we're just not allowed to be at the grounds at the same time as each other."

"So you don't hate Cassandra?" John attentively asked.

"Of course not! She's my niece John. Cassandra may be an intolerable pain at times but I don't hate her, in fact it's rather impossible to hate her." Sherlock grimly noted.

"But you call Mycroft your arch enemy…"

"There's a huge difference between Mycroft and Cassandra…

"Sherlock…" John began.

"It's bad enough being the daughter of Mycroft Holmes and Lydia Huntington as they are the last two people who should have ever reproduced with each other but Cassandra had to put up with the two of them under the same room for four years before the divorce proceedings began. Cassandra was four when her parents split up and six when they were finally divorced… Two years it took, messy affair with lots of yelling… I didn't particular care about it really but I was worried about Cassandra, as much as I'm not fond of children I didn't want her to be damaged anymore than she already was given that her parents had did a fine job of almost screwing her up completely." Sherlock admitted.

"What did you do?"

"I spent time with her, tried to distance Cassandra from it all but even back then and at such a young age she knew. Some credit to her parents they tried not to argue in front of her but Cassandra always knew, I'd sometimes find her sitting in her bedroom just gazing out the window. The whole thing took it's toll and a month into the divorce proceeding she was withdrawing into herself but it was through books that I could reach her. She didn't want to ready fairytales because she had already become disillusioned with happy ever afters as she told me once, if happily ever after did existence her mother and father wouldn't be arguing." Sherlock explained before pausing to take a deep breath. "She blames herself for her parents getting divorced, Cassandra thinks that if she had never been born then her parents wouldn't be the way they were. Maybe Mycroft wouldn't work so much as maybe Lydia wouldn't be a serial bride, Cassandra is under the assumption that her existence forced them to stay together and built up the hostility and if she had never been born then her parents would have gone their separate ways and been happy with other people. It's classic guilt of a child of divorced parents…"

"It's not her fault." John quietly said and Sherlock just frowned at him.

"Do you not think I know that? I've repeatedly tried to tell her that and it only ends in arguments in which we both get mad and don't speak to each other for weeks. It never was her fault and it still isn't… Mycroft and Lydia still argue, it's upsets Cassandra greatly because all she wants is the two of them to be happy."

"Why do you call her LB? How did it start?" John asked and Sherlock glanced over to Cassandra.

"She-Mycroft was five and we had started to reading an animal encyclopaedia as she didn't want to read fiction, she wanted to read books that contained relevant information. One day she came back from day care with a picture of ladybird and the then nicknamed Cassie wanted to Uncle Sherlock to tell her all about the pretty thing she saw in the garden and decided to draw. We pulled out the encyclopaedia and we read all about them. Cassandra loved them and as such wanted to dress up as one for Halloween and the nickname of LB soon followed given her love for them. Being called LB makes her feel safe…" Sherlock said.

"Cassandra is lucky to have you Sherlock."

"You want to know about Cassandra? I'll tell you all about Cassandra Holmes; she's fearless, she tends to leap without looking a tendency that makes her mother fear for her and Mycroft? It's one of the things he admires most about Cassandra although he always has someone watching her in case things go wrong and she falls because behind the uncaring attitude my brother has; he does care. He cares about Cassandra and would put her welfare above queen and country, always . Back to my point both mother and father blame me for this tendency in their daughter. Cassandra, as confident and self assured as she makes herself out to be is plagued by doubt and bouts of insecurity–"

"Cassandra insecure?" John sceptically questioned.

Sherlock couldn't help but laugh. "She hides it so well that you wouldn't even notice unless you knew her well enough but the cracks are there, you just have to notice. But Cassandra isn't a normal teenager and doesn't suffer the normal teenager angst. The doubts and insecurity that she has is mostly centered around Mycroft and myself, Cassandra see's herself as being inadequate and out of her depths when it comes to the two of us, feels like she doesn't fit in especially when it comes to her deduction skills. Although she needn't worry as Cassandra is essentially the best of the Holmes family and as for her deduction skills, she's young and it'll only get better with time. And I'll only admit this once; she'll be better than me someday…"

"Why do you two pretend to hate each other?"

"It makes things more interesting." Sherlock replied.

"Interesting? The two of you call each other names and constantly antagonize each other to make things interesting?" John asked in disbelief.

"We don't do boring, it's far too boring."


	12. Chapter 12

Six weeks. Cassandra frowned as her parents explained for third time that she had been in a coma for the last six weeks, well technically it was six weeks and four days but Cassandra had rolled the number down. Apparently she had been in some kind of accident, that she suddenly had a fit on a busy Tottenham Court road, fell hit her head and then proceeded to have a couple more seizures before falling into a coma. Cassandra didn't honestly know as she had no recollection of the event but she supposed that made sense. All she remembered was waking up for a brief moment, falling asleep again, waking up again and having a light shined in her face, that happening a few more times before finally waking up for good. Then it took a few days for her to even string a coherent sentence together.

"Cassie? Are you listening?"

"I'm sorry what were you saying mum…" Cassandra wearily asked looking down at her legs, she couldn't currently move them and it wasn't a result of her accident it was rather her lack of muscle tone due to being in bed for six weeks. Cassandra's doctor explained that it was next to impossible for people to wake from comas, climb out of bed and resume living their lives. Cassandra already knew that, it was still taking time to get used to the fact she couldn't really move much, that and the coma thing.

"I was saying that you won't be able to come home for a few more days, the doctors want to monitor you for a little while longer. Do a couple more tests to see how your brain is doing, talk to you about the recovery and a few more thing. Then you'll be able to come home." Lydia said much to Cassandra's chagrin as she had already been here for six weeks and now they wanted her to stay for longer.

"The wedding…" Cassandra wearily said glancing at her mother, it was one of the few things she distinctively remembered in the run up to her accident. According to the timeline of her coma, Cassandra's wedding was supposed to get married during the second week of her six week long nap.

"Postponed." Lydia replied.

"I'm so sorry mum…" Cassandra honestly said trailing off, no doubt her mother postponed her wedding due to her situation. Despite the happiness that radiated off her mother's face over her being awake and healthy someone who had just come out of a coma could be, Cassandra could tell by the tired look in her eyes and the bags that her mother practically spent every waking minute by her side. It made Cassandra feel extremely guilt, her mother had put her own happiness and wedding to the side to be with her. As much as Cassandra badmouthed her she knew that she didn't deserve to have a mother like Lydia Huntington, the woman loved her as much as a mother should love her child and more.

Lydia lifted Cassandra's hand up and placed a kiss. "Don't be."

"Can you do me a favour mum? Can you go get me some stuff from home like pyjamas and some books? I know I'm going to be stuck here for a while and I just would feel better if I had some of my own things." Cassandra asked.

"Sure thing sweetheart."

'Thank you." Cassandra replied as her mother get up and leave, she didn't really need things from home, well she did but not quite in the urgency that she had made her mother believe. But she had made it seem that was as she had caught Mycroft's eye several times and it was clear that he wanted to talk with her, no doubt out of her mother's earshot hence Cassandra sending her mother away. "Hello Mycroft."

"Cassandra" Mycroft replied as he took a couple of steps forward. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been in a coma for over six weeks." Cassandra sarcastically replied.

"Glad to see your accident hasn't affected your witty sense of humour." Mycroft said. "Do you remember what happened? Why you were at Tottenham Court road in the first place Cassandra? I find it curious that you were there in the first place Cassandra as you were supposed to be at school the time of your accident."

"That's a very interesting observation to hear, thank you for telling me."

"I know that you were with Sherlock and the reason I know that is because when you were brought here and the doctors were working on you they found the message 'Find SH' written in your palm. I also know that he triggered a seizure and you were aware of what he was doing and for some reason you let him do it." Mycroft stated and Cassandra sighed.

"If you know that Mycroft then what is it you want to ask me? Surely you have all the answers about what happened to me. You know even more than I do." Cassandra calmly stated although she was surprised yet not too surprised that her uncle was somewhat involved in her accident. Judging by what Mycroft had said, Sherlock was directly responsible for it.

"I want to know why you agreed to my brother's stupid request, why you agreed to put your risk at health Cassandra… You were in a coma for weeks, your mother sat by your side every day, neither of us knowing when or if you were going to wake up."

Cassandra didn't respond as firstly she couldn't even remember anything from that day and even if she did, she probably wouldn't even tell either of her parents the reasons for allowing her uncle to induce a seizure. She didn't know why or what possessed her to do something so stupid but despite all the confusion she knew that there was a reason she let Sherlock do what he did. "I don't know Mycroft."

"Cassandra…"

"It's like when I have a seizure and can't remember anything from what happened but it's worse. I can't remember anything from the days leading up to that happened. Whether or not you believe me Mycroft it doesn't matter as I can't remember, it's all a blank…" Cassandra honestly admitted.

"I get phone calls about you quite often Cassandra and I think you know that and have known for a while. The phone calls range in length depending on what your doing or who I'm talking to, now phone calls about you getting into trouble at school I can deal with. Phone calls telling me that my daughter; my only child has been in a serious accident is a call I don't like getting."

"I'll try and keep the calls down to only headteachers calling about my imminent expulsion from now on." Cassandra dryly retorted and she could have sworn she saw a smirk on his face before he too took his leave, no doubt before she could accuse him of caring.

Cassandra sat alone in her private room with nothing to do and alone with her thoughts when a nurse walked in and handed her a small blue box. Cassandra looked at her in surprise as she simply wasn't expecting this and she kind of wanted an explanation. "I was asked to give this to you when you woke up."

"From who?" Cassandra asked as this simply wasn't either of her parents styles, Lydia liked handing things over to see the look in Cassandra's eyes whilst Mycroft often left surprise gifts out somewhere she'd come across it like in his locked top desk draw underneath a couple of very important files with a little note.

"He said you'd know." The nurse replied before leaving and Cassandra waited a moment before she finally opened it. Inside the box was a silver pocket watch, it was beautiful and Cassandra slowly turned it around in her hand until she saw the message or rather engraving.

_About time LB_

Cassandra laughed, at times Sherlock may be a pain in the ass and yes he was responsible for her falling into a coma but she had to admit the man had style.


End file.
